Defence ministry signs contracts worth Rs 1,917 crore for radios, fork-lift trucks

The Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), a public sector undertaking, for procurement of 149 specialised commmunication radios for the Coast Guard at a cost of Rs 1,220 crore.

Called 'software defined radios', these allow secure communication between ships and planes of the Coast Guard with ground stations.

The Ministry of Defence said these state-of-the-art radios would enable secure and reliable information sharing, collaboration, and situational awareness through high-speed data and secure voice communication. This will strengthen the Indian Coast Guard's capability to fulfil its core responsibilities, including maritime law enforcement, search and rescue operations, fisheries protection, and marine environment protection. Additionally, these radios will enhance interoperability for joint operations with the Indian Navy.

Also, the ministry has signed a contract to get 1868 specialised fork lift trucks that can operate in rough terrain. Called the Rough Terrain Fork Lift Truck (RTFLT), it will cost Rs 697 crore. It is critical equipment which will assist in various combat and logistics support tasks by avoiding manual handling of enormous number of stores and thus enhancing the operational effectiveness of the Army, Indian Air Force and Navy.